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| Bit of a saga getting home last night 03/01/2010 at 14:40 #470 | |
TomOF
452 posts |
Just a little tale to illustrate how one little thing going wrong on the railways can have a large impact. Some thoughtful individual decides to pull the Passcom on what I understand to be a Bristol bound HST shortly after leaving Bath, and comes to a stop in Twerton tunnel (So I am told). Upon seeing this chap making a run for it and smelling the brakes within the confines of the tunnel after an emergency application the other passengers assume the train is on fire and spill out, onto the other track which is presumably still open to traffic. Eventually they're all back on board. I'm not sure if they managed to catch the person concerned. Presumably the BTP where called out in response to this too. Upon finally trying to start away the driver can't release the brakes, an air pipe ruptured when the braking occurred. There is nothing for it but to call out the fitter to try and repair it so the train can be moved out of the area. Both lines through the area are bi-directional but this was not used. Presumably because the fitter required a block on the other line for his own protection. In the middle of this with things starting to unravel at Bristol the panel route another train on top of us that was also supposed to be going our way as far as Westbury with the intention of trying to join the two trains. After 5 minutes of backwards and forwards shoving its realised that this has failed. This train leaves in front of us and we crawl along behind it on successive reds and single yellows in the long 2 aspect block sections that exist between Bath and Westbury losing further time as a result. Arrival in Frome was around 2 hours late. The staff concerned did all they can but where beset by circumstance. I wonder how many minutes of delay ensured last night! Log in to reply |
| Bit of a saga getting home last night 03/01/2010 at 14:40 #5495 | |
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TomOF
452 posts |
Just a little tale to illustrate how one little thing going wrong on the railways can have a large impact. Some thoughtful individual decides to pull the Passcom on what I understand to be a Bristol bound HST shortly after leaving Bath, and comes to a stop in Twerton tunnel (So I am told). Upon seeing this chap making a run for it and smelling the brakes within the confines of the tunnel after an emergency application the other passengers assume the train is on fire and spill out, onto the other track which is presumably still open to traffic. Eventually they're all back on board. I'm not sure if they managed to catch the person concerned. Presumably the BTP where called out in response to this too. Upon finally trying to start away the driver can't release the brakes, an air pipe ruptured when the braking occurred. There is nothing for it but to call out the fitter to try and repair it so the train can be moved out of the area. Both lines through the area are bi-directional but this was not used. Presumably because the fitter required a block on the other line for his own protection. In the middle of this with things starting to unravel at Bristol the panel route another train on top of us that was also supposed to be going our way as far as Westbury with the intention of trying to join the two trains. After 5 minutes of backwards and forwards shoving its realised that this has failed. This train leaves in front of us and we crawl along behind it on successive reds and single yellows in the long 2 aspect block sections that exist between Bath and Westbury losing further time as a result. Arrival in Frome was around 2 hours late. The staff concerned did all they can but where beset by circumstance. I wonder how many minutes of delay ensured last night! Log in to reply |
| Bit of a saga getting home last night 03/01/2010 at 15:17 #5496 | |
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taffy
28 posts |
Just to clarify, the train was the Plymouth to Paddington train, heading towards Bath Spa (where it was eventually termninated) and not towards Bristol.
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| Bit of a saga getting home last night 03/01/2010 at 15:36 #5497 | |
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Noisynoel
989 posts |
1093 mins
Noisynoel Log in to reply |